Goal: Stop Republican lawmakers from awarding state electoral votes based on congressional districts instead of popular vote

Republican lawmakers are putting forth proposals in six key electoral states to change the way votes are allocated in the presidential election. Their goal is to award electoral college votes based on individual congressional districts instead of statewide popular vote. This rule change is being proposed in Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Virginia – states vital to the presidential election. Electoral demographer Alan Abramowitz calculated that if these states had adopted the proposed rules for 2012, Mitt Romney would have won the presidential election 271-267, despite President Obama receiving 5 millionmore votes than Romney.

This vote-rigging cannot be allowed to occur. Take Pennsylvania, for example. The state has 18 congressional districts, 12 of which went to Romney. If this new law came into effect, President Obama, despite carrying Pennsylvania by around 5 points, would have only received 8 electoral college votes (because each state has an additional 2 votes for Senate seats). Proposals often pop up to get rid of the electoral college altogether, because it at times does not represent the will of the electorate. These cries have arisen especially since George W. Bush’s defeat of Al Gore in 2000 despite receiving over half of a million fewer votes than Gore. This proposal by GOP lawmakers is exactly the opposite of getting rid of the electoral college – it is installing it in every state as well as keeping it nationwide.

This cannot be allowed to stand. By signing the petition below, you are urging GOP lawmakers to reconsider this unfair and unjust proposal.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Reince Priebus, Chairman of the Republican National Committee,

As you know, Republican lawmakers are considering awarding state electoral college votes not on the basis of popular vote, but on the basis of congressional districts won. This rule change, proposed in Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Virginia, is an outrage.

Take Pennsylvania for example. President Obama carried the state by around five points, but if this new scheme was implemented 12 out of the states 20 electoral votes would have gone to Romney. If this was implemented nationwide, Romney would have beat President Obama 271-267 despite losing to the President by 5 million votes. The electoral college is a problem, and this proposal would simply apply to electoral college at the local level, marginalizing peoples’ votes.

This gross misrepresentation of the will of the electorate cannot stand. Please uphold the legitimacy of your party and put a stop to these proposals.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo credit: pht via Flickr

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